Update your website!
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A couple of weeks ago, my partner Bev and I had to do a little running around with what little time we had, as my daughter was due to depart for New York on a school trip (they never had these types of school trips when I was a kid—we had a day out at a museum that told us about trees or something equally as boring).
Bev was tasked with getting my daughter some dollars from a local monetary exchange while I was left to book us all in for a ‘going away meal’ before my daughter left. As both Bev and I are dieting (well, trying to), I decided to research our preferred venue for some idea of the calories, etc. in their meals.
The place we’d picked was Red’s True BBQ in Leeds, a place we’ve been to many times before and one that we all enjoy. I went onto their site…and was instantly greeted by an advertisement for their Christmas Feast. This was in March.
I was worried that the company had gone under, given that its website had not been updated for months. After some more searching, we found that Red’s in Leeds was still functional and open for business; however, I had to put some effort into finding this out.
In today's digital world, having an online presence is crucial for businesses to survive and thrive. Your website is your online storefront, and just like your physical store, it needs to be updated regularly. However, some businesses neglect to update their websites, which can lead to various problems and pitfalls. Here are a few of them:
Reduced search engine visibility
Search engines like Google prioritise websites that offer the most value to users. This means that websites with up-to-date, relevant content are more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) than those that haven't been updated for a while. In fact, a study by Hubspot found that businesses that publish 16 or more blog posts per month get 4.5 times more leads than those that publish between 0-4 posts per month.
If you're not updating your website on a regular basis, your search engine visibility could suffer. This could make it harder for potential customers to find you online, which could ultimately lead to a decrease in traffic, sales, and revenue.
Outdated design and functionality
Web design trends and technologies are constantly evolving, and what was modern and relevant a few years ago may not be anymore. If you're not updating your website regularly, you run the risk of having an outdated design and functionality that may not appeal to your target audience.
According to a study by Stanford University, 75% of web users admit to making judgments about a company's credibility based on its website design. If your site looks outdated or isn't user-friendly, potential customers may perceive your business as unprofessional or unreliable.
Not only that, but outdated design and functionality can also lead to a poor user experience, featuring such things as slow loading times and broken links. This can result in frustrated users who are more likely to leave your website and go to a competitor instead. A study by the Society of Digital Agencies found that 40% of people will abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
According to a survey by the Content Marketing Institute, 61% of B2B marketers said that updating and repurposing old content was their most successful tactic for increasing content marketing effectiveness.
Updating your website regularly is essential to maintaining its relevance, functionality, and credibility. By doing so, you can improve your search engine visibility, attract more traffic and leads, and ultimately increase your revenue. So, make sure you set aside time and employ enough resources to update your website regularly—whether this involves adding new content, updating your design, or improving your functionality.